A message?

Aria flew from Joseph's window towards the back gate of the grounds, with Joseph closely following.

Aria's hair flew open and water came from her eyes as she flew faster than she had ever flown before. Joseph struggled to keep up as Aria kept pushing herself to go even faster.

Finally, Aria landed with a thud in a pretty secluded garden on the Scott grounds and ran frantically.

She found Jacob lying unconscious on the grass and dropped to her knees before him.

"Oh Jacob, Jacob!! Please! Please be alive!" Aria sobbed as she checked his pulse and put her ear to Jacob's chest, to hear his heart beat.

She was infinitely relieved to find out that Jacob was just unconscious and then turned her attention to the other problem at hand. Where was Helen?

Aria noticed a note pinned on Jacob's chest. She carefully removed the pin and held up the note with trembling hands.

On it, letters had been cut out from books and other papers and pasted. It ran as follows,

"We have the queen's hidden daughter. If you want her back safe and sound, queen Amber will have to accept a fight on our terms.

--- Night warriors"

Aria stared at the message for a long time. She couldn't make neither head nor tail of it.

Aria's head wasn't working as she read the message again and again, trying to make sense of it, or get a clue as to where Helen was.

Joseph arrived following Aria and gasped upon seeing the unconscious Jacob. He kneeled beside Aria and might have been talking, but Aria didn't notice.

She only said slowly, "Call the guards and tell them to barricade the grounds. I'm taking Jacob. He needs to get immediate medical attention. Come on."

Aria stood up and twirled her fingers and flew away along with Jacob, leaving behind a very confused Joseph.

Aria flew all the way to the castle and in through the main doors.

Some of the important guests had decided to stay the night and most of the people had already gone to bed.

The only people awake were the servants and some guests who had sat up late reading or talking. Aria flew into Mr. Scott's study and sure enough, found him awake, having a talk with an important looking man.

Mr. Scott seemed annoyed at being disturbed, but he started up and rushed to Aria's side as she landed with a blank expression.

Mr. Scott was very worried and thought that Jacob probably had an encounter with some thugs while he had sneaked away during the commotion.

By the time a doctor was called to look after Jacob, and he was taken to his room, everyone awake had assembled in the huge parlour.

Joseph had also arrived after telling the guards to barricade the grounds and Mrs. Scott had too roused hearing the commotion.

Aria stood in the centre of the hall without any expression on her face, she seemed to be deep in thought. More and more people poured into the hall, wondering what the commotion was all about.

Mr. Scott arrived finally after having a talk with the doctor.